Bank-check.



PATENTED DEG. l5, 1903.

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THE NGRRIS PETERS C0, PAOTOLITNO., WASHINGTON. D Cv iran @raicesPatented December 15, 1903.

Partnr irriicnm ANSON O. KI'ITREDGE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ACCOUNT-AUDIT COMPANY, A CORPORATIONor NEW YoRK.

sank-Casca EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,187,dated December 15, 1903.

Application led November 13,1902. Renewed November 19. 1903. Serial No.181.863. (No model.)

To all wiz/0770 it' may con/cern:

Be it known that I, ANsoN O. KITTREDGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at 42 Leyfred Place, Springfield, county of Hampden, State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulI Improvements inBank-Checks,fully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings,forming a part of the same.

The object of the present invention is to furnish a bank-check which mayserve not only as a draft for securing 'payment of a specified sum, butalso as a statement of the account for which the payment is made, averified certificate that such account is correct, and a receipt for theitems stated in the account.

Heretoforel printed forms called voucherchecks have been used to embodythe characteristics just described; but the statement of account, theverification of the same, and4 than an ordinary bank-check, andthereforel required folding to bundleand pack with ordinary checks,notes, and drafts, which rendered it totally unitted for handling anduse as an ordinary bank-check.

Banks ofl draft and deposit object very seriously to the handling offolded papers, as they cannot be slipped one over another and movedamong one another with the same facility as unfolded slips. Furthermore,the entries upon such a paper are not all visible when it is folded, andthe handling required to unfold the paper for inspection of all theentries involves time which cannot readily be afforded where a greatInumber of such papers must be handled in a short time.

In the present invention I make the bankcheck of usual forrn anddimensions and retain the characteristic appearance of the check byfilling the greater part of its body with the name of the bank and theusual order for payment, as well as the name of the drawer, whendesired.

To alter the functions of the check, I apply all the additional featuresin a space at one end of the check, preferably upon the left hand, so asnot to interfere with the signing of the checkin the usual manner at therighthand end, and the inspection and handling of the check by the banktellers and clerks, as is common. The check does not, therefore, requirefolding and is not distinguishable in the convenience of its use fromany ordinary check, while it possesses all the additionalcharacteristics which have been beretofore secured only by greatlyincreasing its dimensions orfolding it double.

The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing,which shows a pad of such checks.

Upon the top of the check is the name of the drawer, below that theusual line for the place and date, and then following the name of thebank with blank lines beneath for the name of the payee and the writtenamount.v The place for the signature is in the lower right-hand end, asusual. The novel characteristics consist, first, of the ruled columns a,headed, respectively, Date, Items, and Amount for inserting the date anditems of account and the aggregate amount of the account which issettled by the check. Two

items are shown in the columns aggregating nine hundredand twentydollars and fifty cents, for which amount the check is drawn, as shownby the gures "$920.50"I written upon the proper line and inserted innumbers at the upper right-hand corner of the check; second, above theruled columns is a receipt reference (designated b) inthe followingwords: This voucher-check is issued in payment of items per statementfollowing. The indorsement of payee on the back will constitute areceiptin full. If incorrect to be returned; third, below the ruledcolumns is a certificate of verification (designated c) in the followingform: I certify that the above is correct as per approved documents andthat it has not been previously paid. Beneath such certiiicate is a lined for the signature of a suitable person, such line being marked withthe word Bookkeeper, and below the saine is another line, e, markedApproved for payment, with the word Auditoiz The drawings show that theruled columns, the receipt reference, and the certificate ofverification can be applied to the check in a IOC space of suchdimensions as not to disgure the check or require its enlargement or inpterfere in any manner with the performance of its ordinary functions.

The specific arrangement of the receipt reference b above the statementof account enables it to refer to the statement following, which iscontained in the column a, as showing the amount for which the checkwhen indorsed becomes a receipt. The specific arrangementl of thecertificate of verification below the ruled columns enables them torefer to the above as the particular account of which verification ismade. The arrangement of these three features in such` acondensed format one end of the check thus enables them to perform functionsconjointly, which they could not perform if separated or disposed atdifferent parts of the check, while their conjunction condenses them inthe smallest possible space, so that the remainder of the check maypresent the usual appearance.

The objects accomplished by the statemen of account, by the receiptreference, and by the certificate of verification are of greatimportance, but-heretofore they have not been used as much as desired,as no means prior to the present invention has been found for combiningthem with a bank-check without enlarging the same and disfiguring thecheck, as well as interfering seriously with the handling and tiling ofthe same in connection with other checks and drafts of usual form. Bythe particular arrangement of these features I have successfullydisposed them upon the face of a check so as to furnish the means forutilizing them Without impairing the inconvenience of the check forinspection and handling by bank tellers and clerks in the usual manner.I also impart the additional functions to the check without requirtionand accomplishes the same results without any inconvenience Whatever andwithout anyy material expense.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimedherein is Y l. A bank-check of usual form, bearing the name of a bankand usual order for payment, and having upon the face at one end ruledcolumns with headings for the date andl amount of an account.

2. Abank-check of usual form, bearing the name of bank and usual orderfor payment, and having upon the face at one end ruled columns withheadings for the date and amount of an account, and beneath such columnsa certificate of verification with space below the same for averifying-signature.

3. A bank-check of usual form, bearing the name of a bank and usualorder for payment, and having upon the face at one end ruled columnswith headings for the date, items and amount of an account, and beneathsuch columns a certificate of verification with space below the same fora verifying-signature, and above such columns a receipt reference, asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ANSON 0. KITTREDGE.

Witnesses:

FRIEND PITTS, Jr., THOMAS S. CRANE.

